Dutch Flower Exports Gained 3.6% in July on Demand From Germany

Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- The Netherlands’ flower and plant
exports, the world’s biggest, rose 3.6 percent in July on demand
from Germany and Russia, while sales to southern Europe
continued to fall.

Exports climbed to 340.9 million euros ($419.5 million)
from 329.1 million euros in July 2011, the Aalsmeer,
Netherlands-based Dutch Agricultural Wholesale Board for Flowers
and Plants wrote in a report on its website today.

The board has said flower sales to southern European
countries including Spain, Italy and Greece are sliding on the
back of falling consumer confidence there. The Italian economy
contracted for a fourth straight quarter in the three months
through June and Spain’s gross domestic product dropped from the
first quarter, European Union figures showed this week.

“Eastern Europe remains the strongest area of growth and
southern European markets are under pressure,” the board wrote.
“With a warm August month in all of Europe, the prospects for
this month are less positive.”

Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is the biggest market
for flowers from the Netherlands. Flower and plant exports to
the country rose 6.3 percent in July to 109.1 million euros.
Shipments to the U.K., the second-biggest customer for Dutch
flora, increased 1.3 percent to 62.2 million euros. Shipments to
Russia jumped 17 percent to 12.1 million euros.

Dutch flower and plant exports in the first seven months of
the year rose 5.8 percent to 3.44 billion euros.